Turn Back the Clock: Sept. 11, 2001

Sports around the country came to a standstill.

September 11, 2001

On Sept. 11, 2001, the world watched in horror as our nation was attacked and our security blanket ripped away. Kyle Bahr, then-associate sports editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian, wrote a column on Thurs., Sept., 13, after no sports section appeared in Wednesday’s paper.

“We who work on the sports section of this newspaper often refer to ourselves proudly by the self-proclaimed acronym DPOSTM, “The Daily Pennsylvanian’s Only Section That Matters.” But we—the section we create and the things we write about on this page—did not matter Tuesday…Sports, on that day, did not matter.”

We often get so wrapped up in getting that A, scoring that goal or getting a position in that club we so desperately need that we can forget about how lucky many of us are to live a life of security surrounded by the people we love. Twelve years ago we were reminded of how easily they can be stripped away.

On Sept. 11, The Daily Pennsylvanian and countless other media organizations canceled their sports coverage. The university canceled all athletic events through that Sunday, including the football season opener against Lehigh, despite programs returning to practice on Wed., the 12th.

Though in the moment sports took a backseat, they do hold a certain significance. After a tragedy creating a routine and return to normalcy are important, something that sports can help very much with.

Bahr concluded his column: “Perhaps most importantly, our sports will keep us united, whether as teammates or fans or just strangers meeting on a court for a game of pickup basketball. The Eagles players, Eagles fans and the kid wearing the Eagles jersey while playing two-hand touch in a local park will all find strength and comfort in the togetherness they feel with their fellow man. Once again, sports will matter.”